1. The Field
A system for dispensing beverages to a user such as a baby to a young child wherein the system includes an outer container sized to receive an inner container like a baby bottle held in the outer container by a retaining structure which may be configured to removably receive a protective and insulating cap and wherein the system includes one or more accessories connectable to the outer container such as a baby bottle nipple, a sippy spout, a straw spout and a drink spout.
2. The Relevant Technology
A variety of baby bottles are known and useful for dispensing beverages to a baby. The beverages may include water, fruit juice, milk and formulas. Other beverages may also be dispensed as desired.
Consumer Reports offers guidance on selecting and buying baby bottles on line at hypertext transfer protocol (http://) having a domain name of comsumerreports.org/ero/baby bottles. The use of thermally insulated bottles has been suggested if one is going to refrigerate to store and to administer/serve certain beverages to a baby at a suitable temperature. The thermal insulating feature may be regarded as useful or desired to keep a particular beverage cool and to keep other particular beverages warm.
At the hypertext transfer protocol site on the world wide web at the domain of buybuybaby.com, one can find “Thermos Plastic Cups;” and at hypertext transfer protocol site having a domain name of global.rukuten.com one can find a “Thermos vacuum insulation mug baby straw mug”. A variety of different Thermos baby bottles can also be found at the hypertext transfer protocol site of thermosbabybottle.blogspot.com and at the world wide web (www) at google.com/thermosbottles. Pacific Baby Incorporated has also offered a “Thermal Baby Bottle” for a period of time.
As a baby grows, the baby may start to progress from the bottle to small non spillable cups from which the child can sip. The cup is sometimes called a “sippy cup.” A number of different types are available as can be seen at the hypertext site (https://) on the world wide web (www) at google.com/sippycup. A sippy cup is one that is made for use by a toddler. It has a closed top with a spout that has a long and wide-mouth piece and allows the toddler to hold and sip from or through the mouthpiece as it chooses. The mouthpiece may be configured with a valve that seals should the cup be dropped.
Straw cups are also known. That is, cups can be configured to hold a straw for access by the user. See the google.com/strawcupsfortoddlers on the world wide web. Straw cups come in a variety of sizes and shapes and appear to be made of plastic, nylon, or other similar materials.
As babies grow, they pass first into the toddler stage (e.g., age 1-3) where they use sippy cups or straw cups. From toddler age or stage, a child next moves into the small child age or stage (e.g., age 3-5). For the small child age or stage, a drink cup may be selected for dispensing beverage. See google.com/drinkcupfortoddlers where one can see a selection of straw cups, sippy cups and drink cups. Notably, drink cups have a fairly simple centrally disposed spout extending from its cap which the child may place in his/her mouth to receive fluid/liquid/beverage.
Baby bottles are also known to come in different styles and sizes with a standard bottle and a wide bottle being more typical than others. Using the hypertext transfer protocol (http://), you may access the web site comsumerreports.org/cro/babybottles for a discussion of the different types. Other baby bottles may be found disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,618,448 (Alexander), U.S. Patent Application US2010/0206833 published on Aug. 19, 2010 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,086 (McKendry).
However, known baby bottles are not adaptable or changeable to or between different sizes and uses. While some come with various attachments to facilitate, for example, carrying, none are known to be convertible between different sizes and for use with other accessories so they can be used from the infant stage through and into the young child age (e.g., about 5 years). An insulated baby or thermally insulated bottle adaptable to hold a standard baby bottle and adaptable or reconfigurable to function as a wide mouth baby bottle and which also is adaptable to receive and function with a variety of accessories including a sippy cup accessory, a straw cup accessory and a drink tube accessory is not known.